


Wrong Side of Town

by Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw



Series: February Ficlet Challenge 2019 [27]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-06 21:56:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17947844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw/pseuds/Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw
Summary: What if Max were the local nerd and Lucas were the out-of-towner with the abusive family?Pairing: Max Mayfield/Lucas SinclairPrompt: Role ReversalBeta by imaginary_golux





	Wrong Side of Town

Max didn’t understand what Mike saw in El until a year had gone by. At the time, she was not only a little miffed that the only straight boy (though she was the only one who knew that) in her group of friends had not shown any interest in her but she was _royally pissed off_ that he was about to tear the party apart for some mystery girl. Especially when Will (who was in love with Mike, goddamnit!) was missing.

Things cooled off eventually among them, and Max had to admit it was pretty cool having a girl to talk to who wasn’t her bratty adopted sister, Erica. Then Will came back, El vanished, and Mike turned into a brooding shell of his former self. 

Oh, and the Sinclair family moved to town.

***

“Who’s LukeSky?” Max asked as they crowded around the high score screen. 

“Shit, they’re on every machine!” Dustin burst out. “Overnight?”

“Somebody new in town?” Mike wondered.

“Uh, guys?” Will tugged on Mike’s arm and they all followed his gaze. A black boy, their age, unfamiliar, was _destroying_ DigDug.

“Oh, shit,” Dustin breathed, and looked over at her. _He’s cute!_ was the unspoken thought they both shared. 

***

She finally ran into LukeSky after school, shooting three-pointers. “You’re really good at that,” she offered. 

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed you and your friends creeping around,” he retorted. Which, okay, fair. 

“Because you’re awesome?” She set the words before him delicately, like a peace offering. 

“Then why do you keep shutting me out whenever I try to interact with you?” His arms crossed over his chest; his left foot trapping the basketball like a fallen foe. 

“It’s for your own protection!” Max became aware of how ludicrous the words would sound as she blurted them out and took two steps closer to Lucas, placing her hands on his shoulders. “Look, you want to hear the whole story or not?”

“The whole story?” He raised one eyebrow. 

“Everything,” she promised.

“This better not be some bullshit prank,” he warned her. “Wait, where are you going?”

“Someplace private,” she hissed. “Are you coming or not?” He followed her, out behind the middle school, past the tree line, far enough into the woods that they could almost forget that there were other people. 

“Look, if you just want to make out, I’m sure we could find--”

“This knowledge might kill you,” she began, launching into the speech she had prepared. “Once you hear it, you won’t be able to unhear it. So, do you accept the risk?” She finally took a breath and processed Lucas’s words. “Wait, what did you say?”

“Forget it, the mood’s gone. Just tell me your crazy story.” 

She eyed Lucas up; his demeanor seemed to have shifted from wanting to be in Atlanta (or anywhere that wasn’t Hawkins), his stance was more open. “You’re sure?” He nodded, and she began her story.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: this AU culminates in them egging on Will and Dustin to dance together at the Snow Ball.


End file.
